Health stories for this week about whole milk, Gen Z, Freebirthing, neurological condition a.o.

 

Three stories you should read today The full-fat milk renaissance fuelled by Gen Z – and science Whole milk has become cool again – and it’s not just the Gold-Top generation who are lapping it up No doctor, no midwife – why more women are giving birth alone ‘Freebirthing’ – bringing a child into the world without any medical support – is on the rise. One mother explains why she chose to do it This is what it feels like to have ADHD (brace yourself) Finding out I had the neurological condition helped to explain so much of my behaviour and enabled me to live happily How to set (and stick to) realistic exercise goals Telegraph fitness guru and celebrity personal trainer Matt Roberts explains how to stay pumped for action – even when life gets in the way If your goal is significant, it’s reasonable to set a one-year timeline. Whether you aim to lose fat or gain muscle, the process requires time. For instance, gaining 4-5kg of muscle won’t happen in a month. And burning one pound of fat needs about six hours of hard running. Trying to shed a stone of fat in six weeks requires a 1,000-calorie deficit per day – achievable but challenging. But don’t despair. Instead, have a plan. Here’s how to make one. To help you out today The physio’s guide to injury recovery when you’re over 65 Falls are the most common cause of injury-related deaths in people over the age of 75. No wonder then that a survey commissioned by Age UK recently found that millions of older people are worried about falling over, with 4.3 million (36 per cent) saying it topped their list of concerns. “The physio community buzz-phrase du jour is ‘progressive loading’. Essentially the body adapts to the loads placed on it, so if you do that slowly and progressively your body will adapt to bear more load, that doesn’t matter if its muscle, bone, or cartilage. Resistance strength training can be used to reverse muscle loss or at least maintain muscle, and maintain or improve bone density, if it comes with a healthy diet with enough protein and calcium. You can’t go wrong getting strong.” The ultimate guide to what children should eat at every stage of development From toddlers to teenagers, their eating habits will change drastically – here’s how parents can keep ahead of the ever-evolving food curve + According to a recent report published in Nature magazine, undernutrition remains one of the most pressing global health challenges, contributing to nearly half of deaths in children under five, and with consequences that impact all areas of development: growth, neurodevelopment and metabolic development. Neither are children immune to the “dual burden” of malnutrition – like undernutrition and obesity, which can manifest throughout a lifespan and increase the risk of adult diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. According to the most recent figures from the UK’s National Child Measurement Programme, 9.2 per cent of reception-age children in Britain are obese, with a further 12.2 per cent overweight, and by age 10-11, 22.7 per cent of children were obese, and 13.9 per cent overweight. Workouts you can do from home if you’ve already given up on the gym “If you’re already swerving the gym, you can still build strength, flexibility and balance with exercises at home.” Dear Rachel: ‘How do I make clear that any partner would need to be pretty damn adventurous in bed?’

Workout and other healthmatters for the first half of February 2024

Three stories you should read today The best ways to banish belly fat for men and women Improve your overall health, increase your longevity and get rid of the beer gut with our expert-backed advice I lost my social life but cured my migraines The throbbing pain was phenomenal; at its worst I would have to lie in a dark room for days on end ‘I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 29, like Michael J Fox’ People who are diagnosed young can live for 40 years or longer – a mark I fully intend to surpass I lost four stone in six months – even though I always hated exercise Amid grief, a career change, and the challenges of menopause, it was healthy eating and exercise that became my steadfast companions To help you out today Eating pasta won’t make you fat – but there’s a catch How to use ‘sleep maths’ to improve the quality of your rest The dos and don’ts of running when you’re over 40 The countries that are beating obesity – and what we can learn from them

Workouts you can do from home if you’ve already given up on the gym

 

Stir-fried prawns with sugar-snap peas, basil, chilli and lime recipe

Vibrant flavours in a quick and easy stir-fry that makes a simple weeknight dinner to enjoy with rice

 

How to make 2024 your healthiest year yet

Three stories you should read today Your guide to a healthier year – month-by-month The secret to making healthy habits that stick? Pick your moment. Here’s how to make 2024 your healthiest year yet The health benefits of good old-fashioned cow’s milk The five reasons why you should be drinking it and which alternatives to avoid ‘On Ozempic I immediately lost all desire for alcohol’ As more people are taking the drug, a surprising benefit has emerged – people are drinking less I only get 11 minutes of sunlight a day – and this is how it affects me We all know that natural light is good for our health but what happens at this time of year when you can’t always get outside? To help you out today Live to 100 exercise guide with Matt Roberts: Week 3 Fancy a drink? Three easy ways to do Damp January Need to get something done quickly? Ask an ageing rocker Why your holiday on the slopes could be your next best workout

Do you have painful creaky knees

Painful creaky knees? You might feel like popping a pill, but you’d be better off exercising.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting an estimated 10 per cent of men and 18 per cent of women over 60 years of age and occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones gradually thins.

Although the last 20 years have brought big breakthroughs in treatments for inflammatory arthritis (including rheumatoid), osteoarthritis has seen much slower progress. There are still no disease-modifying treatments, only symptom control, and the latest draft of NICE guidelines has recently downgraded long-term use of painkillers in favour of exercise, weight-management and behaviour change.

For years, the choreologist Marcus Ampe promoted special exercises to get rid of pain, instead of poisoning the body with painkillers. Before his retirement, he also gave special therapeutic classes to help people recover from accidents and from several body ailments.

A big problem is when people have a lot of pain, they often do not feel much for going to move more. But they have to go over that step. Crossing the threshold of the initial pain.

To move, is probably the opposite of what you want to do, and of what your osteoarthritis seems to be telling you, but the evidence is rock-solid. Exercise helps in multiple ways.

“It improves nutrition and blood flow to the joint, lines up the joints, strengthens muscles, improves stability and restores function,”

says Dr Benjamin Ellis, consultant rheumatologist and senior clinical advisor for Versus Arthritis. Avoiding activity because of osteoarthritis pain kicks off a vicious “deconditioning cycle”.

Marcus Ampe always promoted exercise but warned not to overdo it. Though he also was a certified Aerobics teacher, he always dis-advised ordinary people to do that sort of exercises. It is namely much better to do a proper balanced workout or to take Kounovsky, Pilates or social dancing or modern jazz classes.

He, like other experts, advises that any exercise is good, even walking or gardening.

“Whatever you enjoy, whatever you’re doing, do more,”

says Holden.

“A recent study found that just walking will reduce the pain from early knee osteoarthritis and also make it much less likely to progress – so it’s potentially preventative.”

The latest research suggests that paracetamol performs no better than a placebo for osteoarthritis, while strong and potentially addictive opioids bring more risk than benefits.

A lot of people seek refuge in medication but would do better to resort to herbs or phytotherapy and homoeopathy and a healthy schedule of exercises that will further help them move better and easier again.

> Please do find: Five ways to tackle the joint pain of arthritis